Jefferson’s Manual of Parliamentary Practice

As vice president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson presided over the Senate. To improve its procedures, he wrote A Manual of Parliamentary Practice, first published in 1800, which has been the basis for the rules of Congress ever since. In 1812, Jefferson amended and revised his text and considered the new edition his final word on the function of Congress. Now, for the first time, the 1812 edition is published along with an introduction detailing the history of the text and tracing the discovery of Jefferson's revised edition. The new edition will be the basis for the US House of Representatives's rules in 2025 and is the definitive American text of parliamentary procedure. Author Brian Alexander presents groundbreaking research using Jefferson's own writings in this historic Manual of Parliamentary Practice, now in its definitive edition.